Retailer, marketer to expand North Carolina plant

RALEIGH, N.C. — An online retailer and direct marketer of health and wellness products is expanding its operations in North Carolina.

Gov. Beverly Perdue’s office announced on Thursday that Vitacost.com Inc., plans to invest $6.7 million and create 228 jobs in Davidson County over the next three years.

The project was made possible in part by a $450,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.

Vitacost.com, headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., currently operates a call center and a manufacturing and distribution facility in Lexington. The company sells brand name items such as New Chapter, Atkins, Twinlab and Kashi.

The Lexington plant currently employs 168 people. The overall wage for the 228 new jobs will average more than $30,000 a year plus benefits, higher than the county average of $29,640.

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